Sunday, August 14, 2016

Paleo-Orthodoxy: Barnabas on Jesus the Messiah

The following is an excerpt from the Epistle of Barnabas, the companion of Paul. The full work will be available in the Library section of this website. I hope you enjoy this brief excerpt on Jesus the Messiah.

I bid
you greeting, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord that loved
us, in peace. Seeing that the ordinances of God are great and rich
unto you, I rejoice with an exceeding great and overflowing joy at
your blessed and glorious spirits; so innate is the grace of the
spiritual gift that ye have received. Wherefore
also I the more congratulate myself hoping to be saved, for that I
truly see the Spirit poured out among you from the riches of the
fount of the Lord. So greatly did the much-desired sight of you
astonish me respecting you. Being therefore persuaded of this, and
being conscious with myself that having said much among you I know
that the Lord journeyed with me on the way of righteousness, and
am wholly constrained also myself to this, to love you more than my
own soul (for great faith and love dwelleth in you through the
hope of the life which is His)--considering this therefore, that,
if it shall be my care to communicate to you some portion of
that which I received, it shall turn to my reward for having
ministered to such spirits, I was eager to send you a trifle, that
along with your faith ye might have your knowledge also perfect. Well
then, there are three ordinances of the Lord; the hope of life, which
is the beginning and end of our faith; and righteousness, which is
the beginning and end of judgment; love shown in gladness
and exultation, the testimony of works of righteousness.

For
the Lord made known to us by His prophets things past and present,
giving us likewise the firstfruits of the taste of things future. And
seeing each of these things severally coming to pass, according as He
spake, we ought to offer a richer and higher offering to the fear
of Him. But I, not as though I were a teacher, but as one of
yourselves, will show forth a few things, whereby ye shall be
gladdened in the present circumstances. Seeing then that the days are
evil, and that the Active One himself has the authority, we ought to
give heed to ourselves and to seek out the ordinances of the Lord.
The aids of our faith then are fear and patience, and our allies
are long-suffering and self-restraint. While these abide in a pure
spirit in matters relating to the Lord, wisdom, understanding,
science, knowledge rejoice with them. For He hath made manifest to us
by all the prophets that He wanteth neither sacrifices nor whole
burnt offerings nor oblations, saying at one time; What to Me
is the multitude of your sacrifices, saith the Lord I am full of
whole burnt-offerings, and the fat of lambs and the blood of bulls
and of goats desire not, not though ye should come to be seen of Me.
or who required these things at your hands? Ye shall continue no more
to tread My court. If ye bring fine flour, it is in vain; incense
is an abomination to Me; your new moons and your Sabbaths I cannot
away with.

These
things therefore He annulled, that the new law of our Lord Jesus
Christ, being free from the yoke of constraint, might have its
oblation not made by human hands. And He saith again unto them; Did
command your fathers when they went forth from the land of Egypt to
bring Me whole burnt offerings and sacrifices? Nay, this was My
command unto them, Let none of you bear a grudge of evil against
his neighbor in his heart, and love you not a false oath.

So
we ought to perceive, unless we are without understanding, the mind
of the goodness of our Father; for He speaketh to us, desiring us not
to go astray like them but to seek how we may approach Him. Thus then
speaketh He to us; The sacrifice unto God is a broken heart,
the smell of a sweet savor unto the Lord is a heart that glorifies
its Maker. We ought therefore, brethren, to learn accurately
concerning our salvation, lest the Evil One having effected an
entrance of error in us should fling us away from our life. He
speaketh again therefore to them concerning these things; Wherefore
fast ye for Me, saith the Lord, so that your voice is heard this
day crying aloud? This is not the fast which have chosen, saith the
Lord; not a man abasing his soul; not though ye should bend your neck
as a hoop, and put on sackcloth and make your bed of ashes, not even
so shall ye call a fast that is acceptable.

But
unto us He saith; Behold, this is the fast which I have chosen,
saith the Lord; loosen every band of wickedness, untie the tightened
cords of forcible contracts, send away the broken ones released and
tear in pieces every unjust bond. Break thy bread to the hungry,
and if thou seest one naked clothe him; bring the shelterless into
thy house, and if thou seest a humble man, thou shalt not despise
him, neither shall any one of thy household and of thine own seed.
Then shall thy light break forth in the morning, and thy healing
shall arise quickly, and righteousness shall go forth before thy
face, and the glory of God shall environ thee. Then shalt thou cry
out and God shall hear thee; while thou art still speaking, He shall
say 'Lo, I am here'; if thou shalt take away from thee the yoke and
the stretching forth of the finger and the word of murmuring, and
shalt give thy bread to the hungry heartily, and shalt pity the
abased soul.

To
this end therefore, my brethren, He that is long-suffering,
foreseeing that the people whom He had prepared in His well-beloved
would believe in simplicity, manifested to us beforehand
concerning all things, that we might not as novices shipwreck
ourselves upon their law. It behooves us therefore to investigate
deeply concerning the present, and to search out the things which
have power to save us. Let us therefore flee altogether from all the
works of lawlessness, lest the works of lawlessness overpower us; and
let us loathe the error of the present time, that we may be loved for
that which is to come. Let us give no relaxation to our soul that it
should have liberty to consort with sinners and wicked men, lest
haply we be made like unto them.

The
last offense is at hand, concerning which the scripture speaketh, as
Enoch saith. For to this end the Master hath cut the seasons and
the days short, that His beloved might hasten and come to His
inheritance.

And the prophet also speaketh on this wise; Ten
reigns shall reign upon the earth, and after them shall arise another
king, who shall bring low three of the kings under one.

In
like manner Daniel speaketh concerning the same; And I saw the
forth beast to be wicked and strong and more intractable than all the
beasts of the earth, and how there arose from him ten horns, and from
these a little horn and excrescence, and how that it abased under one
three of the great horns.

Ye
ought therefore to understand. Moreover I ask you this one thing
besides, as being one of yourselves and loving you all in particular
more than my own soul, to give heed to yourselves now, and not to
liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying
that our covenant remains to them also. Ours it is; but they lost it
in this way for ever, when Moses had just received it. For the
scripture saith; And Moses was in the mountain fasting forty
days and forty nights, and he received the covenant from the Lord,
even tablets of stone written with the finger of the hand of the
Lord. But
they lost it by turning unto idols. For thus saith the Lord; Moses,
Moses, come down quickly; for thy people whom thou broughtest out of
the land of Egypt hath done unlawfully.

And Moses understood, and
threw the two tables from his hands; and their covenant was broken in
pieces, that the covenant of the beloved Jesus might be sealed
unto our hearts in the hope which springeth from faith in Him. But
though I would fain write many things, not as a teacher, but as
becometh one who loveth you not to fall short of that which we
possess, I was anxious to write to you, being your devoted slave.
Wherefore let us take heed in these last days. For the whole time of
our faith shall profit us nothing, unless we now, in the season of
lawlessness and in the offenses that shall be, as becometh sons of
God, offer resistance, that the Black One may not effect an entrance.
Let us flee from all vanity, let us entirely hate the works of the
evil way. Do not entering in privily stand apart by yourselves, as if
ye were already justified, but assemble yourselves together and
consult concerning the common welfare. For the scripture saith;Woe
unto them that are wise for themselves, and understanding in their
own sight.

Let
us become spiritual, let us become a temple perfect unto God. As far
as in us lies, let us exercise ourselves in the fear of God, [and]
let us strive to keep His commandments, that we may rejoice in His
ordinances. The Lord judgeth the world without respect of persons;
each man shall receive according to his deeds. If he be good, his
righteousness shall go before him in the way; if he be evil, the
recompense of his evil-doing is before him; lest perchance, if we
relax as men that are called, we should slumber over our sins, and
the prince of evil receive power against us and thrust us out from
the kingdom of the Lord. Moreover understand this also, my brothers.
When ye see that after so many signs and wonders wrought in Israel,
even then they were abandoned, let us give heed, lest haply we be
found, as the scripture saith, many are called but few are chosen.
For to this end the Lord endured to deliver His flesh unto
corruption, that by the remission of sins we might be cleansed, which
cleansing is through the blood of His sprinkling. For the scripture
concerning Him containeth some things relating to Israel, and some
things relating to us. And it speaketh thus; He was wounded for
your transgressions, and He hath been bruised for our sins; by His
stripes we were healed. As a sheep He was led to slaughter, as a lamb
is dumb before his shearer. We ought therefore to be very
thankful unto the Lord, for that He both revealed unto us the past,
and made us wise in the present, and as regards the future we are not
without understanding. Now the scripture saith; Not unjustly is
the net spread for the birds. He meaneth this that a man shall
justly perish, who having the knowledge of the way of righteousness
forceth himself into the way of darkness.

There
is yet this also, my brethren; if the Lord endured to suffer for our
souls, though He was Lord of the whole world, unto whom God said from
the foundation of the world, Let us make man after our image and
likeness, how then did He endure to suffer at the hand of men?
Understand ye. The prophets, receiving grace from Him, prophesied
concerning Him. But He Himself endured that He might destroy death
and show forth the resurrection of the dead, for that He must needs
be manifested in the flesh; that at the same time He might redeem the
promise made to the fathers, and by preparing the new people for
Himself might show, while He was on earth, that having brought about
the resurrection He will Himself exercise judgment. Yea and further,
He preached teaching Israel and performing so many wonders and
miracles, and He loved him exceedingly. And when He chose His own
apostles who were to proclaim His Gospel, who that He might show that
He came not to call the righteous but sinners were sinners
above every sin, then He manifested Himself to be the Son of God. For
if He had not come in the flesh neither would men have looked upon
Him and been saved, forasmuch as when they look upon the sun that
shall cease to be, which is the work of His own hands, they cannot
face its rays. Therefore the Son of God came in the flesh to this
end, that He might sum up the complete tale of their sins against
those who persecute and slew His prophets. To this end therefore He
endured. For God saith of the wounds of His flesh that they came from
them; When they shall smite their own shepherd, then shall the
sheep of the flock be lost. But He Himself desired so to suffer;
for it was necessary for Him to suffer on a tree. For he that
prophesied said concerning Him, Spare My soul form the sword; and,
Pierce My flesh with nails, for the congregations of evil-doers
have risen up against Me. And
again He saith; Behold I have given My back to stripes, and My
cheeks to smitings, and My face did I set as a hard rock.

When
then He gave the commandment, what saith He? Who is he that
disputeth with Me? Let him oppose Me. Or who is he that goeth to law
with Me? Let him draw nigh unto the servant of the Lord, Woe unto
you, for ye all shall wax old as a garment, and the moth shall
consume you. And again the prophet saith, seeing that as a hard
stone He was ordained for crushing; Behold I will put into the
fountains of Zion a stone very precious, elect, a chief corner-stone,
honorable. Then again what saith He; And whosoever shall set
his hope on Him, shall live forever. Is our hope then set upon
a stone? Far be it. But it is because the Lord hath set His flesh in
strength. For He saith; And He set Me as a hard rock. And the
prophet saith again; The stone which the builders rejected, this
became the head and the corner. And again He saith; This is
the great and wonderful day, which the Lord made. I write to you
the more simply, that ye may understand, I who am the offscouring of
your love. What then saith the prophet again? The assembly of
evildoers gathered around Me, they surrounded Me as bees surround a
comb; and; For My garment they cast a lot. Forasmuch then
as He was about to be manifested in the flesh and to suffer, His
suffering was manifested beforehand. For the prophet saith
concerning Israel; Woe unto their soul, for they have counseled
evil counsel against themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous
one, for he is unprofitable for us.

What
saith the other prophet Moses unto them? Behold,
these things saith the Lord God; enter into the good land which the
Lord swear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and inherit it, a land
flowing with milk and honey. But
what saith knowledge? Understand ye. Set your hope on Him who is
about to be manifested to you in the flesh, even Jesus. For man is
earth suffering; for from the face of the earth came the creation of
Adam. What then saith He? Into
the good land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Blessed
is our Lord, brethren, who established among us wisdom and
understanding of His secret things. For the prophet speaketh a
parable concerning the Lord. Who shall comprehend, save he that is
wise and prudent and that loveth his Lord? Forasmuch then as He
renewed us in the remission of sins, He made us to be a new type, so
that we should have the soul of children, as if He were recreating
us. For the scripture saith concerning us, how He saith to the Son;
Let
us make man after our image and after our likeness, and let them rule
over the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heaven and the
fishes of the sea. And
the Lord said when He saw the fair creation of us men; Increase
and multiply and fill the earth.

These
words refer to the Son.

Again
I will shew thee how the Lord speaketh concerning us. He made a
second creation at the last; and the Lord saith; Behold I make the
last things as the first. In reference to this then the prophet
preached; Enter into a land flowing with milk and honey, and be
lords over it. Behold then we have been created anew, as He saith
again in another prophet; Behold, saith the Lord, I will take out
from these, that is to say, from those whom the Spirit of the
Lord foresaw, their stony hearts, and will put into them hearts
of flesh; for He Himself was to be manifested in the flesh and to
dwell in us. For a holy temple unto the Lord, my brethren, is the
abode of our heart. For the Lord saith again; For wherein shall I
appear unto the Lord my God and be glorified? I will make confession
unto Thee in the assembly of my brethren, and I will sing unto Thee
in the midst of the assembly of the saints. We therefore are they
whom He brought into the good land. What then is the milk and the
honey Because the child is first kept alive by honey, and then by
milk. So in like manner we also, being kept alive by our faith in the
promise and by the word, shall live and be lords of the earth. Now we
have already said above; And let them increase and multiply and
rule over the fishes. But who is he that is able [now] to rule
over beasts and fishes and fowls of the heaven; for we ought to
perceive that to rule implieth power, so that one should give orders
and have dominion. If then this cometh not to pass now, assuredly He
spake to us for the hereafter, when we ourselves shall be made
perfect so that we may become heirs of the covenant of the Lord.
Understand therefore, children of gladness, that the good Lord
manifested all things to us beforehand, that we might know to whom we
ought in all things to render thanksgiving and praise.

If
then the Son of God, being Lord and future Judge of quick and dead,
suffered that His wound might give us life, let us believe that the
Son of God could not suffer except for our sakes. But moreover when
crucified He had vinegar and gall given Him to drink. Hear how on
this matter the priests of the temple have revealed. Seeing that
there is a commandment in scripture, Whatsoever shall not
observe the fast shall surely die, the Lord commanded, because He
was in His own person about to offer the vessel of His Spirit a
sacrifice for our sins, that the type also which was given in Isaac
who was offered upon the alter should be fulfilled. What then saith
He in the prophet? And let them eat of the goat that is offered at
the fast for all their sins. Attend carefully; And let all the
priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with vinegar. Wherefore?
Since ye are to give Me, who am to offer My flesh for the sins of My
new people, gall with vinegar to drink, eat ye alone, while the
people fasteth and waileth in sackcloth and ashes; that He might shew
that He must suffer at their hands. Attend ye to the commandments
which He gave. Take two goats, fair and alike, and offer them,
and let the priest take the one for a whole burnt offering for sins.
But the other one--what must they do with it? Accursed, saith
He, is the one. Give heed how the type of Jesus is revealed.
And do ye all spit upon it and goad it, and place scarlet
wool about its head, and so let it be cast into the wilderness.
And when it is so done, he that taketh the goat into the
wilderness leadeth it, and taketh off the wool, and putteth it upon
the branch which is called Rachia, the same whereof we are wont to
eat the shoots when we find them in the country. Of this briar alone
is the fruit thus sweet. What then meaneth this? Give heed. The
one at the alter, and the other accursed. And moreover the
accursed one crowned. For they shall see Him in that day wearing the
long scarlet robe about His flesh, and shall say, Is not this He,
Whom once we crucified and set at nought and spat upon; verily this
was He, Who then said that He was the Son of God. For how is He like
the goat? For this reason it says the goats shall be fair and
alike, that, when they shall see Him coming then, they may be
astonished at the likeness of the goat. Therefore behold the type of
Jesus that was to suffer. But what meaneth it, that they place the
wool in the midst of the thorns? It is a type of Jesus set forth for
the Church, since whosoever should desire to take away the scarlet
wool it behooved him to suffer many things owing to the terrible
nature of the thorn, and through affliction to win the mastery over
it. Thus, He saith, they that desire to see Me, and to attain unto
My kingdom, must lay hold on Me through tribulation and affliction.
But what think ye meaneth the type, where the commandment is given to
Israel that those men, whose sins are full grown, offer an heifer and
slaughter and burn it, and then that the children take up the ashes,
and cast them into vessels, and twist the scarlet wool on a tree (see
here again is the type of the cross and the scarlet wool), and the
hyssop, and that this done the children should sprinkle the people
one by one, that they may be purified from their sins?